Extension-step for railway-cars.



G. B. RITCHIE.

, EXTENSION STEP FOR RAILWAY CARS.

APPucATloN msu IAY23.1911.

1,250,659. Patented Dec. 18,1917.

GEORGE IB. BVITCHIE, F TULSA, OKLAHOMA.

EXTENSION-STEP FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 18, 1917.

Application led Hay 23, 1917. Serial No. 176,434.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE B. RITCHIE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tulsa, in the county of Tulsa, State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful' Improvements in Extension-Ste s for Railway-Cars; and I do hereby dec are the following to be a, full, clear, and exact description of the, invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention is an improvement in vehicle steps and has particular reference to an extenslonfstep for railway cars An object of the invention is to provide an improved support for the extension or foldable step, whereby the saine may be readily extendedv to a position-in close proximity to the ground and folded beneath the lowermost relatively stationary step.

Another object is the provision Vof a step ofthis character which is, simple in construction, easy to manufacture and effective iii-carrying out the purpose for which it is designed.

The inventive idea involved is capable of receivingV a variety of n'iechanical expressions, one of which, for the purpose of illustreting the invention, is shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of the ex- 'tension step in folded position showing the same applied to the 'permanent steps of a railway ear.

E ig. 2 is a similar view with the extension step -in an extended or lowered position.

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 4 is aV rear elevation. Referring more particularly to the accompanying .drawing the numeral `5 indil'cates the vestibule` platform of. a. railway tar having the permanent'steps 6 depend- Ving therefrom in the usual manner.V The lower end of each of the sides of the steps 6 is `preferably rovided with a reinforcing plate' to whie is pivotally connected at 8, a lateral extension 9 of a hanger 10 the body portion of which is secured longitudinally to the vertical edge of the riser section 11 of the foldable step by 4fasteners, 13, the

other end of the hanger is also provided:

with a lateral extension 1 4 projecting in opposite directionto the .extension 9 and pivotally connected, at 15, to a. supporting :arm

16 arranged 'in a horizontal position and having its forward' end engaged with and supporting the under side of the step 1 2, the forward ends of the arms 16 being connected by a brace rod 17. The rear ends of the supporting arms 16 are connected by a similar brace rod 18 so as to lend further rigidity to the arms 16 which are adjustable back and forth to raise and lower the step 12.

Means for adjusting the arm 16 preferably comprises the bars 19 secured to the under side of the platform 5, one of said bars having pivoted thereto at 20 a vertically arranged operating lever 21 the upper end of which extends above the platform 5 within easy reach ofthe opera-tor while the lower end is pivotally connected to the brace rod 18. The bar 19 opposite that to which. the lever is secured also has'pivoted thereto,

at 22, the upper end of a supporting arm 23 also connected at its lower end to the rod 18. It will bc apparent from this description that when the lever 21 is shifted to raist or lower the step 12, the arms 16 will be adjusted back and forth and rock the. hangers 1() about Vtheir pivot-s thereby swinging the step to the desired position.

The combination with a permanent step, of an extension step associated therewith and including a riser section, a. hanger for each end of the riser section having its intermediate portion secured longitudinally thereto and its ends provided with o positely projecting extensions, one of w ichr is pivoted to the lowernpost permanent step andthe other pivoted to the bottom ofthe extension. step, horizontal supporting arms engaging beneath said extension step, brace rods connecting the forward and rear ends of said supporting a.rms,\a pivoted operating lever connected tothe rear brace rod for adjusting said arms to raise and lower said step, and a vertical supporting` arm pivotally connected at one end to said permanent stein and at its other end to said rear brace ro In testimony whereof, I aiiix my'signatu're in the presence of two witnesses.

. GEORGE'B. RITCHIE.

Witnesses:

H. T. LU'rrs, B. B. PYLE. 

